2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid is Here!

2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid is the second generation of Porsche's Le Mans prototype and more importantly – it is already here. By "here" I mean that it has just rolled-out at company's test track in Weissach. The driver behind the wheel was Marc Lieb from Germany. With this introduction, the Porsche team could end the 2014 motorsport season with successful debut in the WEC as planned.

The technical director of LMP1, Alexander Hitzinger, said that this roll-out of the race car is not only much anticipated but also a milestone achieved by the Stuttgart based company. The target of the specialists at the team developing the race car is to make the Porsche 919 Hybrid for the 2015 season right before Christmas. Mission achieved.

In addition, he also confirmed that the car was almost optimized on every level and compared to its predecessor it has been significantly developed. The 2014 version of the vehicle features a drivetrain which consists of a single-turbo V4 2.0-liter direct-injection gasoline engine working with a front axle-mounted electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.

The powerplant revs up to 9,000 rpm and sends the power to the rear wheels. At the same time the electric motor provides momentum for the front wheels. There are also a brake energy recovery and a thermal energy recovery system included in the exhaust. This means an 8 megajoule per lap energy recovery boost function.

The first meaningful test with the new race car is scheduled to take place from January 18 to 22 in Abu Dhabi.

Note: The photos included in the article depict the 2014 Porsche 919 Hybrid.